Stop smoking for good with this four-step programme

On average, 27 people die of smoking-related activities each week in the UAE. To help people curb the habit and live a healthier life, Cleveland Clinic has started the Smoking Cessation Program.

Through the programme, which is one of the emirate’s approved centers by the Health Authority – Abu Dhabi – Cleveland Clinic hopes to see a dramatic reduction in smoking levels, including cigarettes, shisha and medwakh, which all pose a significant health risk to users.

Iyaad Hassan, a tobacco treatment specialist who leads the program, said, “There are numerous benefits to quitting smoking. Apart from helping you live longer, it also improves your quality of life, making you feel and even look better. After you stop smoking, your sense of taste and smell also benefit, and you save money by not smoking.

“Beyond the immediate benefits that can be felt within hours of stopping, there are numerous long-term health benefits,” he continued. “Just one year after quitting, your risk of a heart attack drops sharply. After two to five years, your risk of stroke drops to the same level as a nonsmoker.

“Our program is based on a proven method developed at Cleveland Clinic in the US, which has achieved a success rate around 20 percent, which is double the US’s national average.”

The four-step programme is tailored to each person and takes people beyond their ‘quite date’ to avoid replaces.